Eco Church

Eco Church was launched in 2017 as an interdenominational project to encourage local congregations to support and nurture the environment.

The target is to reach 10% of churches (or about 4,500) across England and Wales in 10 years. The idea, based on research, was that 10% would be a ‘tipping point’ after which churches practically caring for creation would seem increasingly normal and gain its own momentum – without A Rocha UK having to drive it.

As of January 2021 well over half way to that target: a total of 3,100 churches have registered for Eco Church, over 1,000 awards have been achieved, and Eco Church has become a national community learning together and stretching across all sizes and styles of church. It has also gained the strong support of many denominations as a key tool for them to achieve their own increasingly ambitious carbon-reduction goals.

The societal and environmental context has changed dramatically since 2016 because predictions of climate change and environmental degradation impacting normal life are coming to pass. It’s easy to forget the record breaking ‘environmental’ events of 2019 and 2020 including wildfire devastation across Australia and California, as well as on the UK’s heather moorlands. In the hottest decade ever recorded, we’re seeing the impacts near and far. Yet there are reasons to be hopeful, and Eco Church can make an even more important contribution to the Church fulfilling its obligation to care for God’s creation in the critical years ahead.

Eco Church is supported by Christian Aid, Tearfund, The Church of England, The Methodist Church,    The United Reformed Church, and the Allchurches Trust Ltd; the project is managed by A Rocha UK.